The European Union on Tuesday postponed the unveiling of legislation aimed at permanently banning Russian oil imports, citing ongoing global supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. The proposal had been scheduled for April 15 under the European Commission’s REPowerEU roadmap, but officials have now removed the date without announcing a replacement.
Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen confirmed that while no new timeline has been set, Brussels remains committed to presenting the proposal. She reiterated that the delay does not signal a policy shift.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has offered to restore long-term oil and gas supplies to European markets as energy prices surge following the recent military escalation in the Middle East. However, European leaders have shown little willingness to reverse course. Ursula von der Leyen warned that abandoning the bloc’s strategy to curb Russia’s energy revenues would amount to a “strategic blunder.”
The EU initially banned most seaborne imports of Russian crude in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. Although some pipeline supplies continued under exemptions for certain member states, flows have significantly declined. In particular, exports via the Druzhba oil pipeline have effectively stopped since January due to infrastructure damage in Ukraine.
In addition, the bloc has already agreed to phase out Russian liquefied natural gas by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas by autumn 2027. However, the ongoing Middle East crisis has complicated these plans.
According to the International Energy Agency, the conflict has triggered unprecedented disruption in global energy markets, pushing Brent crude prices above $100 per barrel. Consequently, the EU now faces a difficult balance between energy security and its long-term geopolitical strategy.
